New mouse mom questions
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New mouse mom questions
by BrendoniUrie Sun 10 Mar 2019, 12:19 am
So I just got mice on March first, and I've already got so many questions despite my prior research! I was hoping someone might be able to get me some input.
- When they first came home they had watery green poop. Now it's regular after switching food to the one I chose for them and settling in, but does anyone know why they might have had this?
- Are pipe cleaners ok to use in the cage?
- How many rice krispies a day is too much? They love these, but obviously they shouldn't be having too much. Is there a general rule of thumb?
- One mouse in particular appears to have been chewing the plastic ring that joins the tunnels out of boredom after I accidentally created a dead end that her sister kept trapping her in (no more dead end). Is she going to be okay?
- Can I give them all different sorts of hay to try out or are there any that shouldn't be used? (there are more types of hay then I ever thought existed)
- I confirmed that they're all female, but one of them keeps humping the other two. Even if I did get the sexing wrong, she doesn't exactly do it right, but will this eventually stop? She chases down the other one and then they just let her get to work while they look quite bored.
- One mouse runs and hides as soon as I lift the lid, so she hardly knows I have treats every time while one is comfortable enough to eat in my hand and the other is freely taking food from my hand before running off to eat. How do I get her to be comfortable around me if she runs away all the time?
- Is there a way to tell how old mice are once they're adults? They are not babies, but aren't very elderly either, and are very agile and energetic. Is there a way for me to pinpoint an approximate age at all?
- How much do mice actually poop? I was prepared to be cleaning up a lot more poop, but they seem to mostly poo on their wheel which I can just wash off, and then there are only a few scattered about the cage.
- They are all white albinos, as most 'fancy mice' in pet stores here end up as snake food, so they never really get anything more elaborate. Does anyone know for a way to tell them apart besides how outgoing they are?
Thanks for any replies in advance.
- When they first came home they had watery green poop. Now it's regular after switching food to the one I chose for them and settling in, but does anyone know why they might have had this?
- Are pipe cleaners ok to use in the cage?
- How many rice krispies a day is too much? They love these, but obviously they shouldn't be having too much. Is there a general rule of thumb?
- One mouse in particular appears to have been chewing the plastic ring that joins the tunnels out of boredom after I accidentally created a dead end that her sister kept trapping her in (no more dead end). Is she going to be okay?
- Can I give them all different sorts of hay to try out or are there any that shouldn't be used? (there are more types of hay then I ever thought existed)
- I confirmed that they're all female, but one of them keeps humping the other two. Even if I did get the sexing wrong, she doesn't exactly do it right, but will this eventually stop? She chases down the other one and then they just let her get to work while they look quite bored.
- One mouse runs and hides as soon as I lift the lid, so she hardly knows I have treats every time while one is comfortable enough to eat in my hand and the other is freely taking food from my hand before running off to eat. How do I get her to be comfortable around me if she runs away all the time?
- Is there a way to tell how old mice are once they're adults? They are not babies, but aren't very elderly either, and are very agile and energetic. Is there a way for me to pinpoint an approximate age at all?
- How much do mice actually poop? I was prepared to be cleaning up a lot more poop, but they seem to mostly poo on their wheel which I can just wash off, and then there are only a few scattered about the cage.
- They are all white albinos, as most 'fancy mice' in pet stores here end up as snake food, so they never really get anything more elaborate. Does anyone know for a way to tell them apart besides how outgoing they are?
Thanks for any replies in advance.
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BrendoniUrie- Jr Member
- Join date : 2019-03-09
Posts : 35
Re: New mouse mom questions
by AnonymousMouseOwner Sun 10 Mar 2019, 3:29 am
Hello! Welcome to the forum! 
You should share some pictures of your mousies, we always love mouse pictures here!
- When they first came home they had watery green poop. Now it's regular after switching food to the one I chose for them and settling in, but does anyone know why they might have had this?
Probably a bad diet and/or too many veggies. I wouldn't worry about it if it seems healthy now
- Are pipe cleaners ok to use in the cage?
I would say no due to the fact they might ingest the fuzz. I'm not sure what the fuzz is made out of, but personally I'd rather be safe than sorry.
- How many rice krispies a day is too much? They love these, but obviously they shouldn't be having too much. Is there a general rule of thumb?
As in, the little bits of cereal? I think 3-5 pieces a day per mouse is okay if you aren't giving them anything else special.
- One mouse in particular appears to have been chewing the plastic ring that joins the tunnels out of boredom after I accidentally created a dead end that her sister kept trapping her in (no more dead end). Is she going to be okay?
Mice like to chew, it's pretty normal. As long as she's not eating the plastic I think she'll be just fine. My puzzle playground toys are all chewed up
- Can I give them all different sorts of hay to try out or are there any that shouldn't be used? (there are more types of hay then I ever thought existed)
I'm not sure, I would be careful giving hay though, make sure you freeze it first, as it is known to carry a high risk of introducing mites or other pesky bugs into mouse cages. The only hay I've ever used was timothy, and that's what I'd recommend.
- I confirmed that they're all female, but one of them keeps humping the other two. Even if I did get the sexing wrong, she doesn't exactly do it right, but will this eventually stop? She chases down the other one and then they just let her get to work while they look quite bored.
This is a dominance behavior that females will do. The one mouse you mention is likely your alpha mouse, and she's trying to show them that she's the boss. As long as she's not attacking them to the point they have injuries, I wouldn't worry.
- One mouse runs and hides as soon as I lift the lid, so she hardly knows I have treats every time while one is comfortable enough to eat in my hand and the other is freely taking food from my hand before running off to eat. How do I get her to be comfortable around me if she runs away all the time?
Just take the time to pick her up everyday and show her you aren't a big scary giant. She's likely still adjusting and isn't used to being around you. Mice all have individual personalities and some take longer to tame than others
- Is there a way to tell how old mice are once they're adults? They are not babies, but aren't very elderly either, and are very agile and energetic. Is there a way for me to pinpoint an approximate age at all?
There's no way to really get an exact age without knowing their birth date, but judging by size and looks, and also where you got them, you might be able to get an approximate age. Most pet stores usually have younger mice, not older than 1-2 months. Do you know how much they weigh in grams? This is a good way to tell for younger mice.
- How much do mice actually poop? I was prepared to be cleaning up a lot more poop, but they seem to mostly poo on their wheel which I can just wash off, and then there are only a few scattered about the cage.
I'm not sure how to answer that. I know my hamster seems to think his wheel is a toilet and never goes anywhere else, is it possible your mice think the same? You might not be seeing much if it is buried in the bedding you are using.
- They are all white albinos, as most 'fancy mice' in pet stores here end up as snake food, so they never really get anything more elaborate. Does anyone know for a way to tell them apart besides how outgoing they are?
Are they different sizes? I know some people can tell the difference because they'll have a really chubby mouse and a skinnier one. Other than that, I'm not sure.
You should share some pictures of your mousies, we always love mouse pictures here!
- When they first came home they had watery green poop. Now it's regular after switching food to the one I chose for them and settling in, but does anyone know why they might have had this?
Probably a bad diet and/or too many veggies. I wouldn't worry about it if it seems healthy now
- Are pipe cleaners ok to use in the cage?
I would say no due to the fact they might ingest the fuzz. I'm not sure what the fuzz is made out of, but personally I'd rather be safe than sorry.
- How many rice krispies a day is too much? They love these, but obviously they shouldn't be having too much. Is there a general rule of thumb?
As in, the little bits of cereal? I think 3-5 pieces a day per mouse is okay if you aren't giving them anything else special.
- One mouse in particular appears to have been chewing the plastic ring that joins the tunnels out of boredom after I accidentally created a dead end that her sister kept trapping her in (no more dead end). Is she going to be okay?
Mice like to chew, it's pretty normal. As long as she's not eating the plastic I think she'll be just fine. My puzzle playground toys are all chewed up
- Can I give them all different sorts of hay to try out or are there any that shouldn't be used? (there are more types of hay then I ever thought existed)
I'm not sure, I would be careful giving hay though, make sure you freeze it first, as it is known to carry a high risk of introducing mites or other pesky bugs into mouse cages. The only hay I've ever used was timothy, and that's what I'd recommend.
- I confirmed that they're all female, but one of them keeps humping the other two. Even if I did get the sexing wrong, she doesn't exactly do it right, but will this eventually stop? She chases down the other one and then they just let her get to work while they look quite bored.
This is a dominance behavior that females will do. The one mouse you mention is likely your alpha mouse, and she's trying to show them that she's the boss. As long as she's not attacking them to the point they have injuries, I wouldn't worry.
- One mouse runs and hides as soon as I lift the lid, so she hardly knows I have treats every time while one is comfortable enough to eat in my hand and the other is freely taking food from my hand before running off to eat. How do I get her to be comfortable around me if she runs away all the time?
Just take the time to pick her up everyday and show her you aren't a big scary giant. She's likely still adjusting and isn't used to being around you. Mice all have individual personalities and some take longer to tame than others
- Is there a way to tell how old mice are once they're adults? They are not babies, but aren't very elderly either, and are very agile and energetic. Is there a way for me to pinpoint an approximate age at all?
There's no way to really get an exact age without knowing their birth date, but judging by size and looks, and also where you got them, you might be able to get an approximate age. Most pet stores usually have younger mice, not older than 1-2 months. Do you know how much they weigh in grams? This is a good way to tell for younger mice.
- How much do mice actually poop? I was prepared to be cleaning up a lot more poop, but they seem to mostly poo on their wheel which I can just wash off, and then there are only a few scattered about the cage.
I'm not sure how to answer that. I know my hamster seems to think his wheel is a toilet and never goes anywhere else, is it possible your mice think the same? You might not be seeing much if it is buried in the bedding you are using. - They are all white albinos, as most 'fancy mice' in pet stores here end up as snake food, so they never really get anything more elaborate. Does anyone know for a way to tell them apart besides how outgoing they are?
Are they different sizes? I know some people can tell the difference because they'll have a really chubby mouse and a skinnier one. Other than that, I'm not sure.
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AnonymousMouseOwner- Hero Member
- Join date : 2016-06-13
Posts : 1853
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